Our new series, “Ask a Recruiter,” gives all of you out there the opportunity to ask all of the questions you’ve always wanted to know on hiring, interviewing, the job hunt, recruiters, career tips and more! In return, one of our experienced recruiters will answer these questions on our blog each week. This week’s question came from a candidate on LinkedIn who sent this in:
Nearing 50 with nearly 30 years of experience but no college degree, I am being screened out electronically based on my lack of education. My experience is not seen so I have no way to get that foot in the door. I have been a Manager/VP or Director in the Customer Service/Sales or Call Center arena for nearly 30 years and lost my job due to lay off in July. How do I get on the radar screen of the hiring manager without a college education?
Answer:
There are a few ways to get past the gatekeepers. First, find a couple good recruiters that have direct contact with hiring managers. They will advise you on how to accentuate your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. If they know you well enough, they will know how to sell your skills to the Hiring Manager and increase your chances of getting an interview.
As a job seeker, you should also be prepared to customize your resume and cover letter to be sent directly to a hiring manager, followed with a phone call and short elevator speech as to why you are a good candidate. Then, keep following up about once a week.
I know it’s tough out there right now, but you have to try and stay one step ahead of the other job seekers. While other candidates are waiting for a response from the resume they sent to a job posting, you need to be out there selling yourself!
Have a question you want answered? There are a number of ways to do it!
- Post your question on our Discussion board on LinkedIn
- E-mail PR@SkillStorm.com
- Tweet your question to @SkillStorm
- Post it on our Facebook wall
Remember, all questions will remain anonymous when posted! Check back every week for answers to your questions!
Stephen…
This is one of your best posts, I gotta get to sleep now though…
Assad…
Really nice article…
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